Broiler chicken litter was kept as a stacked heap on a poultry farm, and samples were collected up to 9 months of storage. Chicken litter inoculated with desiccation-adapted Salmonella cells was heat-treated at 75, 80, 85, and 150°C. Salmonella populations decreased in all these samples during heat treatment, and the inactivation rates became lower in chicken litter when storage time was extended from 0 to 6 months. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in thermal resistance of Salmonella in 6-and 9-month litter samples, indicating that a threshold for thermal resistance was reached after 6 months. Overall, the thermal resistance of Salmonella in chicken litter was affected by the storage time of the litter. The changes in some chemical, physical, and microbiological properties during storage could possibly contribute to this difference. Moisture and ammonia could be two of the most significant factors influencing the thermal resistance of Salmonella cells in chicken litter. Our results emphasize the importance of adjusting time and temperature conditions for heat processing chicken litter when it is removed from the chicken house at different time intervals.
Chicken litter is a waste by-product of poultry industry, which consists of feces, bedding materials, wasted feed, and feathers (1). More than 14 million tons of chicken litter are produced every year in the United States, most of which is spread onto arable land as organic fertilizer or soil amendment (2). Chicken litter is known to potentially harbor a variety of human pathogens, such as Salmonella (3). Therefore, the direct application of chicken litter to agricultural land can possibly be harmful to the environment and also the food supply (4).Chicken litter is introduced into arable land either immediately after its removal from chicken houses, after being stockpiled for an extended period of time, or after going through a composting process (5). Agricultural practices for handling chicken litter vary widely among farms and also among economic crops grown on an individual farm. Chicken litter cleanout does not always coincide with availability of agricultural land or with suitable field conditions that allow operation of equipment or desirable nutrient uptake. Temporary storage should thus be provided until conditions are proper for direct application on land or until the litter can be composted or further heat processed. Notably, chicken litter is a heterogeneous waste product with variable compositions and differences in physical, chemical, and microbiological properties, which can be affected by storage time and other factors (6). In addition to composting, physical dry-heat treatment after composting or without composting is one of the most commonly used methods to eliminate potential pathogens in chicken litter (6). The storage time of chicken litter may, to some extent, affect the thermal inactivation of food-borne pathogens. Based on the study by Kim et al. (6), Salmonella survived much longer in dry or aged chicken litter than in wet o...